Best/worst of 2006
December 27th, 2006 by 
Alica
What are Brandon’s bests and worsts for 2006? Here are a couple-three suggestions, but this blog definitely welcomes – indeed, strongly encourages – additional categories and answers from the public.
(Did you know that anybody can post here? Yes, even you.)
Best reason to celebrate being almost last: Brandon Valley School District spent only $4,635 per student last year, putting it in 162nd place out of 165 districts in the state.
Most surprising thing about a political figure: Dist. 10 Representative Roger Hunt won’t reveal who gave $750,000 to a group supporting the abortion ban.
Least surprising thing about a political figure: Bill Janklow got his law license reinstated.
Worst ordinance approved: The ambulance ordinance, which is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 2. It relaxes the requirements for emergency services in Brandon. The city’s existing service, Rural Metro, exceeds Brandon’s requirements, so it doesn’t seem like the new ordinance would be a problem. But if, for whatever reason, Rural Metro doesn’t contract with Brandon in the future, the city becomes vulnerable to services that may not adhere to such high standards.
Saddest goodbye: To George Gulson, who retired as Brandon Valley superintendent.
Posted in Uncategorized, Ambulance | 
December 28th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Brandon raises the bar and decides that it won’t bend over to a company with crappy response times and this is bad news? Call 911 in Brandon and see if you can get an ambulance in under 20 minutes. Now let’s say your mom, wife, daughter, whatever is not breathing. Think 20 minutes is a long time?
December 28th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
It will be difficult in the future to compare response times, because the new ordinance doesn’t require run reports. We can only hope the ambulance service keeps, and shares, its information voluntarily.
Brandon’s new ambulance law requires an ambulance service to have a general practice physician as its medical director, but it does not require the doctor to have hospital privileges. Again, we can only hope the provider voluntarily has a doctor with privileges.
To read the complete ordinance, log on at www.brandonsd.com and click on “City of Brandon.” Then click on “Legal Notices” on the left, then click on “381-Ambulance Ordinance.pdf.”
In the past 10 years, my grandmother, father (four times) and husband all have been taken by ambulance from Brandon to Sioux Falls. In each case, the Brandon Volunteer Fire Department EMT’s response time was prompt, and their efforts to prepare the patient for the ambulance ride were exemplary.
There is no guarantee that if an ambulance had been the first responder, the patient would have arrived at the hospital sooner. Many times, the patient has to be stabilized before he or she can be transported.
December 28th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
No where is it stated we are ‘bending over to a company with crappy response times”. Where did this come from? People don’t realize that Brandon’s FIRST RESPONSE is our Fire Dept. Along with the fire department being dispatched, ambulance and police are also dispatched. To only consider the time it takes for an ambulance to get here is inaccurate. A correct response time is due to how Metro Communications sends the service after 911 is called. The higher the code (3-5) means that lights and sirens can be used to get to the scene faster. To exaggerate and say it takes 20 minutes….is irresponsible and you seem to have a lack of the facts!
January 19th, 2007 at 1:07 am
Congratulation Brandon residents. As a BVHS alum I am proud to see you’ve managed your education expenses and still provided outstanding educational opportunities to the students (162nd out of 164 districts in spending in S.D.)